Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif has shared his perspective on Virat Kohli’s decision to retire from Test cricket, suggesting that the former captain may have felt he was not receiving enough backing or importance within the Indian team setup. Kohli announced his Test retirement in May 2025 after India’s tour of Australia. He had started the Border-Gavaskar Trophy with a century in Perth but struggled for consistency during the remainder of the series.

According to Kaif, the circumstances around Virat Kohli’s retirement may have influenced his decision. “When I look at his interviews about this, I feel like there is some disappointment on his face. Even if his form was bad, you are talking about Virat Kohli,” Kaif said on his YouTube channel.

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“It seemed that he felt like he was not getting importance and backing and the people within had no faith in him. I still think if he would have continued, he would have definitely made a comeback. He is known for comebacks,” he added.

Kaif pointed to Kohli’s long-standing ability to respond to difficult phases in his career. He recalled the 2025 Australia ODI series, where Kohli began with two consecutive ducks but eventually responded with a strong performance.

“If he had been removed after those two ducks in Australia, would we have been able to praise him or look at such knocks from him now?” Mohammad Kaif said. “I can understand if it is a new player. But this is Virat Kohli. You cannot apply the same things to him as you do to others. Your form will go bad. No one is a machine or this is not a video game,” he added.

Kohli has continued to produce strong performances in ODI cricket since retiring from Tests. He scored an unbeaten 139 in India’s opening ODI against West Indies and has recorded four centuries and five fifties across his last 11 ODI innings.

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Mohammad Kaif also believes Kohli could potentially continue playing international cricket beyond the 2027 ODI World Cup, despite the veteran having indicated that the tournament could be his final World Cup. “He is fit and scoring runs. This will benefit Gill, who is a young captain. Look at the bowling, Gill is facing a tough time there due to the lack of senior players. The longer Kohli stays, the better it will be for Gill as a captain and for India overall that way,” Kaif said.